


Into the Mountain

by pinkyapple



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Bathing/Washing, Dale (The Hobbit), Erebor, Gen, Kidnapping, Other, POV Second Person, Petting (Non-Sexual), Reader-Insert, The Lonely Mountain
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-07-11
Updated: 2015-07-03
Packaged: 2018-02-08 10:56:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,293
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1938285
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pinkyapple/pseuds/pinkyapple
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>You've been taken to the Lonely Mountain by Smaug to become part of his collection. You wonder just how long you can stand being under the keep of a covetous dragon.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hopefully the beginning of what will be the first in a series of Smaug & Reader stories. This won't be an enduring story, but rather a series of vignettes.
> 
> This one is based off of prompts from imaginexhobbit on tumblr: "Imagine Smaug wanting to keep you in Erebor simply because he thinks you're treasure" & "Imagine Smaug seeing you as a precious gem he can't take his eyes off of"

You had been out collecting firewood when you first heard the screams. You rushed back to find everything burning, embers floated through the smoke that clouded the air. Villagers ran towards you to escape into the forest, nearly trampling you in their hurry. After dodging the collection of debris and bodies on the ground you managed to get to the town square, hoping to find your home and family through the thick smoke. You turned a corner and came face to face with Smaug. You had never seen anything like him before; dragons had been on the bottom of your list of things to fear. You certainly knew dragons existed, but never having seen one definitely put them far away in your mind.

You stood in awe at the size of the beast, unable to move. The dragon’s chest and neck started to glow and it quicker than you could imagine, spewed a blast of fire towards a row of already burning houses, which were now become piles of ash. You screamed. Your cry must have alerted him to your presence because once he caught sight of you he advanced upon you quickly. You tried to flee, but tripped on a piece of rubble and fell. It was too late to try to crawl away, the monster was upon you. His face drew closer to you as he opened his mouth, snarling. His neck and chest glowing red again, readying the fire. You tightly closed your eyes and your body went rigid awaiting your fiery death. 

After a few moments you no longer felt the incoming heat. Cautiously opening your eyes, you gasped, the dragon’s head still hovered over you, but no longer ready to incinerate you. Smaug merely stared at you, almost like he was mesmerized, his mouth slightly agape. Slowly you sat up on your elbows, keeping the dragon’s gaze. You hoped that you could use the opportunity to run, but Smaug had other ideas. Reaching out, he gripped you firmly with the three fingers on his wing.You didn’t dare struggle as you clutched at the scaly digits. Smaug brought you up closer as if to get a better look at you. 

As you wondered why the dragon looked at you so ardently, you eyes widened at a thought. Remembering the stories about how dragons ate young maidens, you began to wiggle in his staunch grip. You knew it was a futile action, but somehow your body still felt that you had a fighting chance against a colossal fire-breathing monster. You were surprised when instead of dropping you in his mouth, Smaug placed you on top of his head. You quickly grabbed onto the spiky protrusions atop his head as he shifted and started to walk off in the opposite direction. As he began to gain momentum and flap his wings, you held your head down. It wasn’t just to avoid getting hit by the harsh wind, but also to keep yourself from screaming hysterically.

When Smaug finally took off you could feel your stomach lurch and your throat tighten. Once the flight became steadier, you decided to look down to possibly see where you were. Peeking you head over, all you could see beneath you was Smaug’s shadow atop a blanket of clouds. You grimaced: it would be a long way down if you loosened your grip or decided to let go. Your stomach lurched again at the thought and you closed your eyes again; hoping that wherever the dragon took you, it was close to the ground.

Once you reached the interior of the mountain, Smaug dropped you gently onto the heap of treasure from atop his head. As soon as your body touched the gold, you started to scurry away from him, slipping on the enormous pile of coins. But he blocked your path with one of his wings. A chuckle rumbled in his throat; the deep sound reverberating through your body. You tried to crawl away again, but were soon corralled in by both monstrous wings and sat down in frustrated defeat. Staring at Smaug you saw a grin on his lips, his many sharp teeth in view. You sat up defiantly, crossing your arms over your chest. You were angry now: tired of this monster whisking you where he wished and staring at you. Other than to play with his food before eating it, what else could he have possibly brought you here for?

“S-stop wasting time! If you’re going to eat me, then get it over with!” you yelled, your voice quavering somewhat. At that, Smaug let out a big, hearty laugh that shook you to your bones. He brought his large head down to you, immediately making you uncomfortable.

“Do you think I brought you here just to eat you? What a waste it would be to eat something so precious…” you were immediately taken aback by the smoothness of his voice. You had no idea that dragons had such elocution. But wait, had you heard him right?

“Precious?” you asked.

“Yes!” he responded enthusiastically. “I fly out to a meager village of men for sport and imagine my surprise at finding a treasure most valuable ” Smaug remarks, his voice lowering, almost as if he were trying to keep this a secret between the two of you. Your eyes widened in surprise as you looked at him skeptically; Smaug had just called you a treasure. Treasure was gold and jewels; you were just a girl. How could you be treasure?

“I’m not gold or jewels! I-I’m just a girl…! A girl from a village that you destroyed!”

“Do you think that a dragon does not know treasure when it sees it?” Smaug asked, his voice taking on a threatening tone. “I know the difference between a feeble maiden and the gleam of gold and jewels!” His face drew closer; you felt that even just the heat of his breath would burn you. “Made of gold or not, you’ll remain here as part of my collection”

You began to sputter as your eyes widened at Smaug’s words. Rather than being incinerated or eaten, Smaug intended to keep you in this abandoned mountain. He saw you as nothing more than another gold coin in his pile of plundered wealth. You sniffed, hoping to hide the tears that you so desperately wanted to let loose.

“Don’t fret, darling” Smaug purred, as he brought one of his claws under your chin so that you looked up at him.You were surprised a dragon was capable of such delicacy. “You’ll be well taken care of”.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter took so long. The voice kept getting away from me. With this chapter, I wanted to address some of the more practical things about the whole scenario, like how would one survive in an abandoned mountain kingdom with no food or water? 
> 
> Also, writing in Smaug's voice is actually rather difficult. I hope he still comes off as convincing.

It hadn’t been too long since Smaug had brought you to the mountain and had made it more than perfectly clear that you were at his mercy. Since then, Smaug had fallen asleep amongst his plunder, leaving you to your own devices. Before Smaug had moved away to submerge himself in the coins, he had warned you not to wander too far: _he liked knowing where his treasure was at all times_. He had given you another sly grin before settling in. You wrinkled your nose at him once his eyes were closed.

  
Once his breathing seemed slow and even, you tasked yourself to find a place to sit and figure out your situation. You spied a staircase nearby a set of pillars, it’s base completely covered in coins. The landing looked like a good place to think. You carefully made your way over to it, being careful not to jostle the treasure under your feet, lest you wake him. You nearly slipped, but caught yourself before you fell. Once you reached the stairs, you made sure to watch your feet, for the steps were shorter than you were used to. You stopped a few flights up once you felt more secure. Not to mention your position gave you a good vantage point to spy on the dragon should he stir.

  
Sitting down on the cool stone of the landing, you looked over the edge again at Smaug: still fast asleep. You suddenly wondered how he would react to not knowing where you were. Before he had fallen asleep, you had still been in his line of sight. What would he do if he couldn’t find you right away? You decided to leave that for later; now was the time to come up with a plan. Looking around at the sheer size of the place and impressive architecture, you figured that finding a way out would take some time. Especially considering that if you lost your way and couldn’t remember your way back to the main hall. Any way you looked at it, you would be here awhile.

  
More time passed and the most obvious plan at this point was to appeal to Smaug. You ran your hands through your hair in frustration: even after contemplating all of the different scenarios in your head, all of them pointed to the dragon. Not only did he know the layout of this place, but he knew the way out. And he was the only reason you were alive now. You hoped that his promise that you would be well taken care of wouldn’t be an empty one…

  
Thinking about how exactly the dragon would care for you lead you to think of something important: food and water. Your eyes widened remembering that you hadn’t had water or food in hours. This place looked _long_ abandoned: you were doubtful that there was any edible food or fresh running water. Once again, you would have to depend on Smaug. You would have to appeal to him anyway, but how were you going to get food and water? And what about staying clean? You looked down at your dirty clothes and grimaced. Staying in this mountain for any amount of time was going to prove difficult without the bare necessities.  
You lowered yourself onto your back, now feeling even more anxious. Drumming your fingers on your stomach nervously, you thought of how to approach Smaug on the topic of food and water. He couldn’t be completely unreasonable, right? He knew that you were human (despite this absurd notion of you being a piece of treasure), so he had to know that you would need food and at the very least, water. Your fingers began to fiddle with your clothes once you wondered just how to approach him. You thought back to how indignant Smaug had gotten when you had tried to correct him: it wouldn’t be wise to anger him. The best way to get what you wanted was to appeal to his better nature. If he even had something like that. You winced at the thought: you weren't used to flattering or sweet-talking others. You usually spoke honestly and bluntly. How were you going to charm a dragon?

  
Rolling onto your stomach, you moved toward the edge of the landing to spy on Smaug again. What does one even say to a dragon that has an immense pile of wealth that he can sleep in? You groaned and lowered your head onto the cool stone of the platform. This was going to be difficult.

  
You blinked a few times, you eyes feeling heavy. Now was not a time to rest; now was a time to plan. You rubbed your eyes, conjuring images of colored shapes and spots against darkness. You opened your eyes again, the vivid blotches sailing across your vision. Even with the rubbing, your eyes were still heavy. You started blinked again, hoping to relieve the weariness from your eyes, but to no avail. It wasn’t much of a surprise that you were tired: your day had been a tiring one. Running through a burning village, being scared out of your wits, kidnapped by a dragon and whisked away to a deserted mountain kingdom would tire anyone out. You really didn’t want to fall asleep here, but really, what choice did you have? You were stuck here; and at the very least you were away from Smaug, so you felt somewhat secure. With your head cradled on your arms, you closed your eyes. Maybe the words would come to you while you dreamt. You doubted it though; who could dream after what you’d been through?

  
*

  
Your body felt heavy when you awoke. Apparently you had rolled over while you slept and were now faced away from the edge. Your arms and legs felt stiff, so you stretched until you heard the quiet cracks that came from your stiff joints. Giving out a satisfied groan, you rolled over to try and stretch out your back, but gasped at what you saw when you turned.  
Smaug.

  
You quickly sat up on your knees, your hands resting on your thighs. How deeply had you slept not to hear him moving about? His eyes narrowed as he stared at you. Being face to face with him again made your stomach clench. He moved his head closer to you, the bottom of his chin touching the platform. You wanted to move away, but held your ground. Now wasn’t the time to be timid.

  
“So...this is where you’ve been hiding...” Smaug murmured. You would honestly never get over how deep and smooth his voice was. “You’re a willful little thing, aren’t you?” He brought one of his wings to the edge of the platform, the scaly fingers gripping the side of the stairs. You figured it was to block the way in case you tried to flee. “Flitting about the mountain where I can’t see you…That could be dangerous...” You shivered at the implication.

  
You gulped before you spoke. “I- I was only trying to find a place to sleep” you stammered. You swallowed again, hoping to get your words straight. “I tried to stay near you, but sleeping on treasure is uncomfortable…“ you said, hoping that he believed you.

  
Smaug turned his head, setting one of his large eyes on you. You thought you saw curiosity in his gaze. Maybe he did believe you. You decided to keep going. “But of course not for you, Smaug. To you it must be like… sleeping on flowers”. It took everything in you to keep from hitting your head at your own words. You really were not cut out for flattery. Smaug had even tilted his head at the strangeness of your words.  
Smaug brought his face closer to you, the tip of his snout only a foot or so away. Him being so close still intimidated you, but you would have to be brave if you were going to get anything.  
“I’m truly sorry… I won’t leave your sight again” you said as meekly as you could.

  
Smaug made a humming sound that you could feel deep in your belly. “Oh really?” His hot breath hit you again. Your nose scrunched at both the heat and the smell. You hoped he hadn’t noticed.  
“I promise…” you whispered, hoping he would believe in the sincerity you tried to exhibit.

  
“I’m glad to hear it” Smaug said, giving you a satisfied smirk as he reared his head back up his long neck and moved to the other side of the staircase, his eyes never leaving you. You turned on your knees to follow him as he situated himself in his new position. He raised his claws onto the landing again, except this time, it was right next to you. You glanced at the claws gripping the stone out of the corner of your eye, growing uneasy. Once he seemed comfortable, he leered at you again, making you all the more anxious.

  
“But since you find your current arrangements insufficient, I must ask, what do you suggest we do to make you more _comfortable_?” You shivered at his emphasis on the last word.

  
Well, I’m used to sleeping on cloth rather than gold or stone steps… Is there anything like that here?” You asked, figuring it was good start asking for something smaller before and working your way up to bigger things. Smaug seemed to contemplate your question, his eyes looking away. You wouldn't be at all surprised if Smaug didn't know if there was any type of bedding or cloth in the mountain. He was content to just lay about in gold. You decided to press on.

  
“And…!” you started. “I’m very thirsty and was wondering if there is any water…?” you asked cautiously. Smaug’s brow raised, considering your question. Thinking about it now, did dragons even drink? They breathed fire, so wouldn’t water be a hindrance? You were so lost in your thoughts that you were caught off guard when he started to speak.

  
“Come” he rumbled, bringing his head back onto the landing. You hesitated at first, not understanding that this was an invitation to climb atop his head. After a moment of hesitancy, you stood slowly and made your way to his snout. You cautiously reached out and planted your hands on the top of his nose, staying clear of his nostrils. Leaning forward, you gingerly brought up a knee, planting it as gently as you could onto the. Pushing off of the stone with your other foot, you were now on top of his muzzle. Looking up, you saw his bright yellow eyes watching your every move. You quickly looked away and continued up his brow. Carefully, you maneuvered past the spiky protrusions and found the spot you had been in when Smaug had first taken you.

  
“Let’s see if we can’t find you what you need, shall we?” Smaug said smoothly. You really weren’t going to get used to the deep, rich quality of his voice. Especially not when you were sitting on his neck, and it reverberated through your body.

  
Once Smaug felt that you were secure, he turned and made his way down the pile treasure and deeper into the mountain. You gripped onto what you could and tried to take in as much of the layout as you could.

  
*

  
You felt a little more at ease after your excursion into the mountain with Smaug. You were able to find a few pieces of tattered tapestries that you could use as blankets. Despite being old and faded, they were still beautiful: the threads and fabric obviously of quality. You felt a little guilty for using such fine woven drapery as bedding, but desperate times did call for desperate measures.

  
As for the water, Smaug had found you a small water spring to drink from. It wasn't big enough for you to bathe in, but it was sufficient enough to drink out of. You had guzzled the water up rather inelegantly, but Smaug hadn’t seemed concerned. It unnerved you how much you were putting so much stake in his opinion. Regardless, you were relieved to know that there was water here.

  
On the way back, you had inquired about food, but Smaug had assured you that you needn't fret over it; he would make sure your needs were met. You decided not to push the issue, figuring that the bedding and water was fine for now. When you reached the massive pile of gold, Smaug slithered his way back up. You gripped him tighter, not wanting to get swept away in the sea of coins. He finally settled into a spot near some columns and settled. You climbed off of him carefully, holding onto your tapestries. It was a short drop from his neck to the gold, but you managed to land on your feet despite stumbling afterwards.  
You looked around for a place to sleep. Somewhere near enough to satisfy Smaug, but far enough for you to feel secure. You spied a column with it’s base buried in treasure. It seemed easy enough to climb up to and there were some spaces that you could cozy up in. You started to make your way over to it, but you were swiftly dragged back by one of Smaug’s claws. You yelped in surprise as you were brought up to the dragon’s face.

  
“And just where are you going?” he asked, one of his big eyes glaring at you.

  
“I-I thought-” you started, but Smaug quickly cut you off.

  
“You made a promise...” he hissed, that hot breath hitting your face again. “And I expect you to keep it.” He looked at you expectantly, waiting for your rebuttal. It reminded you of the look either of your parents would give you when you had to explain yourself.

  
“I’m sorry...” you, taking the tapestries from your arms and began winding them around your body. Once you were bundled up, you looked up and gave him a shy smile, hoping it would make you seem more sincere. This seemed to satisfy Smaug since he let out what sounded like a purr and brought his head down next to your blanketed body. Even through the thick fabric, you could feel the sharp edges of his face poking you. You wanted to move away, but didn’t want to risk offending him again.

“Good girl...” Smaug muttered, using his clawed fingers to push you even closer to him. You could _feel_ him breathing. His eyes closed and after a few minutes, once again fast asleep. You were beginning to wonder if Smaug’s activities were going to extend past sleeping and terrifying you. From your pinned place, you looked up at the ceiling. There wasn’t much to make out, but the view wasn’t going to change any time soon. Since you were quite literally pinned to the spot, you decided that this was as good a time as any to sleep and tried to relax as best you could. It took some careful finagling, but you were able to arrange your body in a slightly more comfortable position under the dragon’s claws.

  
You laid still, waiting for sleep to take you, thoughts running wildly through your head. And the more you thought, the more your heart began to ache; not just for yourself, but also for the village and family that you would most likely never see again. Even if your family had survived the fire, they had no idea where you were, and you couldn’t get back to them. Just thinking of them made tears run down your cheeks. You looked back up at the ceiling and hoped that things would get better. They just had to...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will be based off of the prompt "Imagine lying nearby Smaug’s chest in all the gold, caressing him as if he was one giant pet" from imaginexhobbit


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry this chapter took so long. It went through three rewrites and I've also been busy with work. I hope you all like it.

You didn’t know just how much longer you could stay cooped up. You still weren't sure just how long you’d been here, but it felt like an eternity. Fortunately, you had devised some entertainments to pass the time such as scavenger hunts and exploring the rooms of the upper levels. They helped brighten up the boredom somewhat. Smaug had allowed you some mobility because of your “good behavior”. He would usually stay close as you walked across the long catwalks or climbed the tall staircases.  

Fortunately, when Smaug would sleep for what felt like days on end, you were able to explore the different rooms throughout the stone kingdom. You made sure to stay close enough to the main hall so that you could return quickly if Smaug began to stir. You had yet to be caught and Smaug seemed none the wiser. Of course you had still yet to find a way out. All of the rooms you'd searched through were dusty and full of cobwebs. They were usually filled with angular furniture or even more treasure. Once, you’d found a dressing room with closets and wardrobes of clothes; you contemplated using them, your own clothes grimy and beginning to tatter. But in the end found the idea tasteless (not to mention they were too small for you anyway). You were able to find some useful accoutrements in other rooms, such as soap and a comb. You were able to keep yourself and your clothes somewhat clean, though with the spring not having enough water to properly clean with or bathe in, you were still a bit grubby. The items you’d salvaged were kept atop one of the staircases where Smaug wouldn’t notice. While there was no real point to hiding the things you'd found, it comforted you in some small way to know that you had something that was just yours. Your own little hoard of sorts.

You'd already gone on one of your treasure hunts today. It had been the clustered red jewels; you'd collected over forty-five. As usual, you dropped your find down the mounds of treasure when you finished. Smaug had yet to stir, so you thought about maybe visiting the upper levels later. But you felt rather tired from your search at the moment and just wanted to rest.

Running your hand through the plunder idly, your thoughts begin to wander. You were hit by a tiny bit of melancholy: was this what you were going to be doing for the rest of your life? Hunting for gems and sneaking about in dusty rooms behind the back of a sleeping dragon? What if you never found a way out? You sighed deeply. This is why you tried to preoccupy yourself most of the time; to leave these dismal thoughts at bay.   

Your worries lead you to mull over what Smaug had said when he first brought you here. He'd said you were precious... A treasure. _His_ treasure. If he had the wealth of a kingdom, what would he want with a girl from a humble village of men?  How could you even compare to a kingdom inside a mountain and an enormous pile of treasure that he could sleep in? You probably weren’t any different from any of the other people he had eaten, so why keep you here with him? Why keep you cooped up just so he could look at you? Why did it have to be you he took into this mountain to be just another object in his collection?

You frowned, thinking of how it was when Smaug was  awake. Sometimes he would just leer at you as you went about your business. Other times, he would pick you up and hold you in front of him, inspecting you like a gem. He wasn't rough with you, which you were thankful for; but being treated like an object still wasn’t pleasant. The rest of the time he would regale you about all the destruction he had left in his wake. You tried to block it out, but that rich, sonorous voice wouldn’t leave your mind. You would bear it as you sat obligingly and listened to his stories as if they were the finest tales you'd ever heard. Then, you would praise and flatter him; he loved your sweet talk, practically preening at your compliments. Apparently you’d improved. Your tongue always felt bitter as soon as the words left your mouth. Afterwards you would try to shake the images he left in your head away, not wanting to dwell on the carnage and ruin he’d so vividly described.

The sound of coins rustling surprised you out of your thoughts. Turning around, you see Smaug emerge from the gold as it cascaded off of his scales like water. You scurry up toward him, waiting as his head surfaced, his eyes already keenly upon you. He grinned, obviously pleased at your obedience.

“Well, hello there...” he greeted, bringing his head down to rest on top of the gold, his bright eyes level with you.

“Hello...” you returned, timidly. Your hands rested on the treasure around you, fingers clenching the gold anxiously.

Smaug blinked slowly as he continued to stare. You moved to sit next to him and he made an appreciative grumble. Once you felt that you were close enough, you sat down on your bottom. You placed your hands under your thighs, and leaned forward. You waited in silence for a few moments, awaiting Smaug to say or do something. He was usually so talkative, but it wasn’t necessarily strange that he just sat quietly with you at his side. After figuring that he wasn’t going to talk, you sigh, a little perturbed at your current situation. You’d have to wait for him to go back to sleep before you could go poking about in the rooms that were higher up. Now you were stuck.

Figuring you might as well get comfortable, you scoot back against Smaug, resting your side against him. Luckily the spot you’d chosen wasn’t spiky like his face or the top of his neck. It was actually rather smooth. And not to mention  warm. Smaug uttered a contented groan at your contact, so you assumed he wasn’t offended by your touch. It was strange, sitting up against him like this. Other than the occasional climb up on his head, you never initiated physical contact with Smaug. You were obviously still wary of him, not wholly convinced he wouldn’t harm you. But now, it seemed almost... nice. Granted, his scaly exterior wasn't the most comfortable thing you’d ever sat against, but it was certainly more agreeable than the cold stone of the steps or the uncomfortable treasure.

Your hands began to feel restless; they need something to do.  Figuring that since Smaug didn’t mind you laying against him, he wouldn’t terribly mind you touching him either. You place your hands on the scales near your feet and run up and down them, almost like scratching. Smaug makes a low, vibrating grumble which you can feel through your body. You think to stop, mistaking it for a growl, but then you look at his face. Smaug has the most contented expression: his eyes were half-lidded and unfocused, his mouth upturned into a lazy smirk. You recognized that look: it was the same one a cat would give when you rubbed its stomach. You were stunned. Smaug, the same fierce and terrible dragon that had burned down your village and whisked you away to a desolate mountain... liked to be petted. You would have laughed if you weren't still dumbstruck by the revelation.

Experimentally, you push your hands on the scales at the base of his neck. You begin to gently run your hands over them, not putting on too much pressure. This time, Smaug made a deep grumble in his throat (you could feel it in your fingertips), turning on his side so his underbelly was exposed. You took that as an invitation.

Sitting up, you run your hand over the larger scales of his chest. Smaug turned his head away, the crown of his head now resting atop the treasure. His eyes were now completely shut, a pleased grin on his face. Instead of the low grumble, it was now a deep, booming chuckle followed by a gentle purr. You added more pressure to your caresses. This made him shift around cozily, stirring up the coins around you both.

You continued on until you were at the top his chest. As you rubbed the scales, you noticed that they almost seemed to have little flecks of gold on them. They felt uniquely textured under your hands; they were smooth like you would expect, but also slightly bumpy. You wondered if they had always been that way or if it came from him sleeping on gold for as long as he had. You let out a breathy chuckle, thinking that if Smaug was any more covetous he'd probably become gold if he could.

Your hands ran over the glittering scales, eliciting contented sounds and delightful squirms from the dragon. It would be a huge lie to say that you weren't enjoying this. You'd been so frightened of this monster since you first saw him. Who would have known that the great fearsome dragon Smaug had the same weakness as a pampered house cat? This gave you a boost in your nearly diminished pride; knowing that the terrible dragon Smaug, who had terrorized men for ages, could be so undone by a good petting. You grinned, thinking about how you could use this to your advantage later. But right now, you were enjoying yourself and really didn’t want it to end anytime soon.

You moved down again, fingers working eagerly. But you stopped abruptly when you spied something out of the corner of your eye. Turning to get a better look, you move closer and spied what appeared to be a hole where a scale should have been. Though small, it was indeed noticeable; contrasting pointedly under the glittery scales. You should have continued so as not to alert Smaug to your discovery of his injury, but the hole in his chest was too intriguing. In all the stories he'd told of himself, he'd never mentioned getting injured or hurt. Though, why would he? Who tells grand stories about their injuries to their captives?

Smaug’s voice startles you.

"You've stopped..." he remarks, his eyes open and focused.

You quickly apologize and move to resume your work, but he interrupts.

"That's enough." he says, beginning to shift so that he's right side up. You could swear you heard disappointment in his voice.

Once he slithered into a more comfortable position, he shifted so that he towered over you. This made you think back to when he first brought you here; you had been scared out of your wits. You had been ready for him to eat you.  Granted, even now after petting him you were still frightened. Not so much because of him, but rather what would happen to you. Despite him saying that you would be well taken care of his treatment of you had been rather... lacking.

While Smaug had provided you with water, some meager scraps of food, and tapestries to sleep in, you were still mused and grimy. You had to salvage basic amenities just to get by. But, since you had more than ample time to think, you weren't at all surprised. Though Smaug was a hoarder of treasure, he never did much with anything with it other than sleep in it. So it didn't surprise you that he probably had no idea of how to take care of a captive. You had yearned so many times to ask him to let you outside, even just to properly bathe. But you doubted that his tight-fisted nature would  even entertain the notion. But maybe... Now that you had pleased him beyond just being something to look at, maybe he would be more open to suggestion.

"Smaug...?" you called softly.

He didn't answer, but raised his brows in interest.

You continued. "I... I was wondering..." you started, gathering your words together. "...If I could ask a favor of you?"

"A favor?" Smaug repeated. "Well, that depends..." he said, lowering his head back down to your level, his eyes fixed intently on you. "Just what do you intend to ask for?" he hissed, the sleekness of the sentence making your stomach warm.

You took a deep breath for confidence and pushed forward with your request. "I'd like to go outside, please."

You look at Smaug's face, trying to gauge his reaction. Other than turning his head a slight bit, he was unreadable. For several seconds he contemplated your request. You grew more and more unsure and anxious as time passed. You were starting to regret your request, until Smaug came closer to you.

“Is that all you want?” he asked skeptically. “To go outside?”

You nodded enthusiastically. Smaug seemed to mull over your reply before answering.

“If that’s all you want, then I see no reason to deny you...” You almost gasped at Smaug’s generosity, but paused when he continued. “However, I do have some… _conditions_ ” he said simply.

Your stomach dropped at the suggestion. But at this point, you would honestly do just about anything for a breath of fresh air and some sunlight.

“And they are?” you asked.

“How good of you to ask...” Smaug started. You could hear the condescension in his tone, but decided to ignore it so you could learn what you had to do to get your limited freedom.

You listened to every word, every detail, every stipulation intently.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now that the Reader can go outside, let's see what they will get up to.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am sooooooo so so sorry this chapter took so long. I was taking a break, but then it took me a long time to get my muse back and then I kept getting stuck at certain points, not knowing how exactly to write them. At the very least, this chapter was about 10 pages, so at least I have something to show for it.
> 
> I didn't want the year to end before I posted this latest chapter, so I put myself into overdrive to finish and edit it. So here it is, an update on the second to last day of the year. Huzzah!

Smaug only had two major conditions that you had to follow. The first was that you be back in the mountain by sundown. He had yet to tell you the other. It was apparently supposed to come before you left. While you were disappointed that your day outside was more a fistful of hours, you were still grateful for what you could get. You were still curious about his other condition was, but decided not to think it over too much.

The night before, you eagerly gathered the items that you had scavenged together, the soap and the comb, and hid them in your clothes. It seemed foolish to hide these things from Smaug, but you felt you deserved to keep something for yourself. As you lay under Smaug's claws, bundled in your tapestries, it was hard to sleep. Your stomach twisted in delighted anticipation. Staring up at the ceiling (still not the best view) you wondered what you'd find outside the mountain. Slowly but surely however, you were eventually lulled to sleep by Smaug's steady breathing.

*

What woke you was the feeling of being nudged. You slowly opened your tired eyes, and glanced over to see Smaug's face hovering over you. Vaguely you wondered if he had woken you by pushing you with his snout or his claws.

"It's time" he rumbled.

Carefully, you extract yourself for your swathe of tapestries and then look for your shoes. Smaug watched silently as you put them on. Once you had finished, you stood, signaling your readiness. Smaug lowered his head to look at you. He gave you a once over before speaking

"Before you go, I need to give you one last condition...

You patiently waited for his instruction; anxious for your time outside. Smaug turned away from you and brought his head up to look behind him. He raised his clawed wing and quick as a flash, reached into the nearby mound of coins. You flinched at his quickness. Bringing his claw from up out of the treasure, he looked to be holding something. He brought it to your eye level and dropped it before you could get a good look at it. You bent to catch it before it could hit the ground. You opened your hands to look at what Smaug had given you: it looked like some kind of trinket.

"You must wear this at all times" he said.

In your hand was a bracelet made of a rather rough metal. It was simple enough in design: a braided metal cord that sat between five thick, circular disks. You figured that the cord was made of copper from the rusty orange color. The disks were dark, almost black and seemed to be made of some kind smooth stone. You glanced back up at Smaug before slipping it on your wrist. It wasn't too loose or too tight; it fit well enough that it wasn't constricting your wrist, but you could still feel the weight of it. You sheepishly thanked Smaug for the gift.

Smaug let out a snort, expression haughty. Without another word, he lowered his head, signaling you to climb up. You reached out to place your hands on the tip of his snout. Careful once again to avoid his nostrils, you quickly hoisted yourself up onto his muzzle. You easily maneuvered over the sharper parts of his head and found your usual spot between the juncture of his neck and head.

When it seemed that you were settled, Smaug made his way down the vast hill of gold, slithering through the treasure with ease. He then rose, opening his great wings and gliding the rest of the way down. You yelped when he began to swoop down and gripped tighter onto a few of his spikes. You could hear (and feel) him chuckle at your outburst. Frowning, you figured that he had done it just to show off or to get a rise out of you. He landed rather smoothly and started to slink down a long corridor that you had yet to explore.

The only sound you could hear was the clicking of Smaug's claws against the stone floors. You looked around to take in as much as you could. There was nothing  memorable or archetypal about the pathway you were taking; no unique features to the architecture that you would remember if you tried to escape this way. You thought you could at least remember the way here so maybe you could just figure your way back again, but your eyes had been closed once Smaug had landed. You cursed yourself for being so inattentive.

You could feel Smaug stop and looked up to see the wall that stood before you both. It was the same greenish stone you’d seen throughout the mountain, but in there were long cracks and fractures that bled down from the top of the wall to the floor. Following the cracks down, they stopped at what looked like a small archway in the wall. Or at least what was left of it… Chunks of stone, probably from the wall above as well as other rubble blocked most of the doorway. You could only see the tip of the entrance.

Smaug lowered his head so that you could get down. Once you climbed off of him, he snaked over to the covered archway, and effortlessly moved the debris from in front of it. Coming closer, you could see nothing but darkness. You bent a little to get a closer look, the top of the passage rather short. Smaug began to speak, making you look up.

“Through there you’ll find the way out...”

You nodded and looked back at Smaug who stared at you intently. While he had his usual demeanor, there was something… apprehensive about his gaze. Almost like he was waiting for you to reconsider and stay inside. It didn’t matter how he looked at you, you were still going to take your say out. But you would have felt guilty just leaving without doing something.

Reaching out, you touched the claw of the wing closest to the wall with your palm. Smaug reeled his head back somewhat in surprise. He stared into your eyes, maybe to detect some kind of deception. You really weren’t sure why you’d reached out to him like this, but there your hand was resting on him like a mother reassuring their child. After a moment, you withdrew your hand and stepped towards the passageway. Ducking under the top, you hesitated, taking one last look at your captor before departing.

“Remember: _sun down_.” he hissed, eyes still on you.

Nodding again, you went through the passageway, not looking back.

*

The passage was cramped as it was dark. You figured this was because it was made for dwarves rather than humans. While not a giant by any means, you were certainly taller than a dwarf. Your neck started to ache from your hunching. Stopping to stroke it wasn't an option however since your eagerness to get out of here was greater than the desire to rub your sore neck. Being in such tight confines while in pitch blackness was far from ideal.

There was no telling how long or far you'd been traveling; you hadn't thought to keep count of your steps or the time; you simply trudged on hoping that the exit would come up sooner rather than later. Fingers running along the walls, you thought you could feel the outlines of carved runes. You wondered if this hallway was once lit. If that had been the case, it sure would have made things easier. Your legs were beginning to get tired: your calves burned and your knees began to stiffen. Reasoning with yourself that once you were outside you could rest your legs to your heart's content.

Several more moments passed and you were still walking. You’d since closed your eyes since you were in blackness. Why waste your sight when you couldn't even see the nose right in front of your face. You eyes flew open however, when your foot knocked into something hard. Hissing at the pain, you drew your foot up to grasp it. Feeling you toes through the outside of your shoe, you could at least gather that nothing was broken or out of place. The shoe didn't seem to suffer any major damage either; just a light scuff. Slowly lowering your foot back to the floor, you bend down to see what it it was you ran into.

Running your hands over the rocks in front of you, you gauge they are sizable but not too large. You carefully dislodge one of them and push it to the side. Feeling for the next rock, you grip it in your fingers and move it to your other side. Drawing closer, you raise your hands and grope the mass in front of you looking for any loose stones. As you pull and wiggle them free, you sincerely hope that the pile won't fall on you. You grimace at the very thought. Near the top of the heap, you twist  a rock that's slightly larger than your fist out of place and you're met with surprise. A ray of light. You shield your eyes from the intensity of it, but are glad to have finally seen it.

Quickly but carefully, you move the rocks away as more light floods in. You squint to keep out the stinging light, but also so you can see what you’re doing. You push the rocks behind you, noting that they are becoming less cumbersome to handle. Once you remove the last rock, you stand in the doorway, cautious. From here, all you could see of the outside was more rocks. Not the most riveting view, but you’d accept it. You edge out into the open space, foot first. You slowly bring yourself out into the open, saving you face for last. The warmth of the light feels wonderful on your body. After taking deep breath, you push yourself out into the open.

Once the sun hits your face, you immediately shield your eyes. They sting as tears welled to relieve the pain. How long had you been in that mountain that now you could barely stand the light of the sun? You peek out from under your arm to watch as you aground the dirt underneath your shoe. Looking up, you slowly bring your arm down to take in your surroundings: rough, rocky land with a few shrubs and patches of grass. Granted, you were somewhat disappointed, but you reminded yourself that it was a blessing to be out here in the first place.

And really, what did you expect to be outside of a mountain anyway?

Turning around behind you, you  truly saw where you came out of. The passageway you had used was almost like a crack in the boot of the gigantic stone figure before you. It was square and angular in design, but still held an impeccable amount of detail. Much like everything else in the mountains, you mused. You had to take a few steps back to take in all of it. Above that, you could spy the peak of the snow capped mountain. Granted, you hadn't seen too many mountains in your time, just the ones in books and maps. But this one was no less awe-inspiring or grand. You could almost understand why Smaug had picked this great fortress to roost in. To think that you came from inside this great peak just moments ago... And would return to before sunset.

Once you you got your fill of the view, you decided to explore around the surrounding area. Not wanting to waste too much time gazing at the mountain, you trudged downward to see what you could find .You could see the patches of greenery around you, growing up on the sides of what looked to be smaller mountain ridges.  Looking out farther, the peaks seemed to form a valley that resembled a path way. From where you were standing it seemed flat enough to walk on. Making sure you had your footing, you climb down the rocks and make your way towards it.

Once you reached more level ground, you searched your clothes for the soap and comb. Once they’d been freed, you held each in either hand as you resume your walk. Seeing all the grass around meant that there had to be water somewhere near by. You might even be fortunate enough to find some animals.  As you walked, you make sure to look around and commit your surroundings to memory. Cataloging anything that stood out so you would be able to find your way back. Such as the rather stately rock mass that sat up out the ground; a rather significant marker.

Suddenly, you feel your foot slip out from under you. Catching yourself before you can fall completely, you stare at the rocks under your feet. They’re rather shiny and slick; covered in speckles of water. You snap your head up to look around for where it might have come from. You hear a sound. Quiet, but definitely audible...

The sound of running water.

Turning again, you finally spot it. You pick yourself up and swiftly make your way over to it, careful of your steps so you don’t slip again. Once you reach it, you just stare at it in delight. This wasn’t the meager spring in the mountain that you’d come to depend on. Couched in a dark rock face was a small waterfall. Underneath it was a  pool that looked shallow enough to stand in. You could feel the mist on your face from where the wind caught the fall.

Experimentally, you run your hand under the falling water. It slapped heavily against your palm, the icy temperature chilling you a bit. You bring your hand up to your face to feel the coldness against your cheek. It’s much better than the tepid water of the spring. Cupping your hands, you place them back under the water fall. You stare at the cold, clear water in your palms before you bring it up to your lips and drink. You shivered as the brisk water went down your throat. No strange after-taste like the water back home. Bringing your hands back to the water, you get two more swallows before you start to remove your clothes.

*

Now down to your underclothes, you walk over to the pool of water and dunk you clothes in. Once they’re good and soaked, you bring them back up to the edge of the pool. Rolling them up, you wring out all the water. You lay them out on the rock and began to rub at them vigorously with the soap. Despite it being dried up and a little crusty, it slowly but surely gets the grime and dust out. After another dunk into the water and another thorough scrubbing, you hold up the garment to the light, checking for any left over smudges. Once you deem it acceptable, you place it over on a cluster of rocks to dry.

You return to the fall and remove your underclothes. You look around suspiciously out of habit; too many times you had caught wayward children trying to peek as young women bathed. You scoffed at yourself. Besides you, who else would be out here? Only someone out of their mind would knowingly trespass on a dragon’s domain. Sighing at the thought, you toss your undergarments into the water. Same as with your clothes, you wring them of water and then start scrubbing. After you finish, you place them next to your drying clothes.

Returning to the pool, you cup some water in your hand and rub the cool water on your arm like your mother had taught you. “So you can take the cold”, she’d once told you. You wet your other arm then dip you hands in so you can run the water over your legs. Feeling prepared with your soap in hand, you ease yourself into the water. It’s brisk, but thankfully covering yourself has helped some. Once your feet touch the smooth stones of the bottom, you brace yourself to get under the falls. You quickly bound under the falling water, spinning around quickly so your whole body is covered. It takes a few moments of shivering until you feel comfortable. You start running the soap over your body.

The soap scratched your skin as you thoroughly scrubbed. But, because your only desire was to be clean you endured the rough, hard soap. You ran it against your body until you felt clean (if your itchy, raw skin was any indication of your cleanliness).Standing under the fall to rinse off, you ran hands through your hair. While the water had eased some of the kinks and tangles from your hair, it was still  knotted and mussed.

Stepping out from under the fall, you reached for the comb that sat on the ledge. Grabbing it, you stick your head back under the falls, letting the heavy water batter your hair. Raising your head, you take the comb and start teasing the roots of your hair. Your fingers and the comb travel all over your scalp, loosening the tangled hair. It takes patience, so you eventually slide down into the pool of water until the water covered your chest. Now more comfortable, the detangling became much easier.

After you finished with the roots, you run your fingers through your hair to loosen the strands. You then take the comb and loosen up the strands even more. As you run it through your hair, your mind begins to wander. Your think about how your mother again and how she would run her hands through your hair as she brushed it. Your hand slowed as you thought about her. You tried to conjure up her face in your mind, but it was… difficult. You tightly closed your eyes, thinking it would help, but it didn’t. Your own mother’s face a vagary in your mind…

It’s a shock to you that you can no longer remember their faces clearly. The people you had been around your whole life… Your friends, your family… Their voices were still clear, but their faces were hazy and blurred. You had no idea how long you had been in the mountain, but to forget the faces of your loved ones in that time…

You felt despicable. While you knew it wasn’t purposeful, it still saddened you. You suddenly felt cold again. Dropping the comb into the water, you wrapped your arms around yourself, running your hands up and down your arms to warm them. Your eyes welled up with tears; the ones you hadn’t had the time to shed since you’d been brought to the mountain. So caught up in plans to escape, survive, explore, and keep face around Smaug you hadn’t a moment to truly feel.

The tears began to fall freely, running down your face and under your chin. Your throat felt tight and you start to shake. Hiccups and cries leave your mouth as you sink further into the water. You wipe at your face, but you don’t stop crying.

*

You have no idea how long it lasts, but you cry until there are no more tears. Quickly, you dip your face in the water to clean it. You remember your hair and look around in the water for the soap and the comb. They’re not floating on the surface, so you search the bottom of the pool with your hands. After a few minutes of searching, you find the comb, but soap is a little more elusive. You look around the pool bottom some more until you notice it out of the corner of your eye, floating against the pool’s edge.

Grabbing it, you place both items on the ledge and climb out of the water. After wiping your face once more, you wring out whatever water is in your hair. You locate your clothes and feel the cloth with your fingers: still a little damp. You check your underwear and it’s a tad drier. Knowing you’d experienced worse and figuring that your clothes would dry out if you moved around, you began dressing. The damp clothes were uncomfortable and heavy on your body, but there was nothing more to do than bear it. Hiding the soap in your clothes, you take your shoes in hand and continue down the slope.

Thankfully, the air was still warm and the sun still high in the sky so you would dry quickly. Looking around, you figure that it has to be around summertime, judging from the greenery and the warmth in the air. It had still been spring when you were taken. So that meant you’d been in that mountain for a month if not more… You nearly pause at the realization. A month you’d been in the mountain with Smaug, running around an abandoned kingdom, surviving on the little food and water you could get… A month away from the village and your family…

You could feel tears pricking at your eyes again, but you quickly wiped them away with your sleeve. No more of that. You’d had a good long cry while you’d bathed. That was enough for now. Blinking to make sure the tears are gone, you keep going, making sure not to cut your feet on any rocks on the path. Turning back, you can barely see the fall in the distance; you’d traveled rather far down from the crack you’d come out of. But, the mountain was still in plain view so it wouldn’t be difficult to return.

Returning your eyes to the path, you saw something in the distance. You think it’s just more rocks, but it’s covered in fog. How peculiar for there to be fog in summer. But you figured that since you knew nothing of what went on on a mountainside, this could have been completely normal. As you come closer, you see it’s not a rock at all, but a spire. A building! Your eyes widen as you walk faster toward it. A building meant people! Your mind raced with all kinds of thoughts about who and what could be down there. You could find food, shelter, pleasant company! Maybe even a map that could tell you where exactly in the world you were as well as how to get home.

As you started to run faster toward it, other large structures came into view. They towered over you as you neared them. You came to an abrupt halt when you reached the edge of the mountain path. Looking at the fog covered city, you cupped your hands around your mouth and called,“Hello?”

You waited for some sort of reply, but were met with just the echo of your voice. You called out again.

“Hello?!”

Still no answer.

You start to walk around to the other end of the edge, seeing if you could maybe see past the fog. No success. Looking over, you see that there is a stone ledge that you could possibly hop onto. You quickly put on your shoes and make sure your items are secure in your clothes. Anticipating the jump, you swing your bent arms back and forth, hoping your weight will help you across rather than down. Taking one last swing of your arms, you jump. Stretching your legs, you manage to land rather shakily onto the ledge, one of your feet catching on the the edge a bit.

Once you step solidly onto the ledge, you search for someone nearby. Still nothing but silence. You start to grow suspicious.

“Hello!!” you call again, as loud as you can. Nothing. Now you feel uneasy. You look around to find a way down from the ledge. Over one side, you spy what looks to be stairs and quickly descend them. The fog gets thicker the more you descend. You wave away the fog in front of you, taking one step at a time carefully so as not to fall. Once you reach the bottom, the fog isn’t as thick and you can see the ground. There are still no sounds nor is there anyone in sight. All you can see are rubble and all sorts of items strewn across the ground in what seems like hurry. You put two and two together: this place is abandoned.

A frustrated, angry sound escapes your mouth as you kick at the wall with your foot. You let out more grunts and curses as you kick at the wall some more. You know that this isn’t helping the situation, but right now, you’re too upset to care. After a few more minutes of screaming and cursing, your tantrum ends and  you sit against the wall in defeat. You bring a hand up to your now dried hair and run your fingers through it worriedly. There was no hope of getting away. You really were going to be stuck with Smaug in his mountain for the rest of your life. And all you had to look forward to was outdoor excursions to an abandoned city. You laughed pitifully at yourself. At your predicament. There was nothing to do but accept defeat. You were destined to rot in that mountain.

Covering your face with your hands, you start sobbing. You hadn’t intended to cry so much today, but it wasn’t easy to accept that your situation was now utterly hopeless. You screamed into your wet palms. You were so utterly finished with all this nonsense.

*

You didn’t realize that you had tired yourself out from crying and fell asleep. What woke you was a strange warmth on your wrist. Bringing it up to your face, you move your sleeve to see that it is the bracelet that Smaug gave you. Looking at it closely, the discs have a slight yellow glow coming from their center. You furrow your brows at it in confusion. Of course you’d figured that Smaug had given it to you for a reason, but for what? Suddenly, a thought came to you. You quickly looked up at the sun: it would be setting soon…!

Quickly, you climb back up the stairs. While you didn’t know what exactly the bracelet would do, you didn’t want to find out. You also didn’t want to test Smaug’s anger. You’d seen him fierce before, but never angry. That was a side of him you definitely didn’t want to experience.

You made it to the top of the ledge and you quickly ran and jumped over to the mountain path. Hurrying, you look behind you every so often to check the sun. Though you could feel your lungs burning from all the running, you couldn’t stop. You were too scared to think of what would happen if you did. Your wrist suddenly felt warmer.You looked down at the bracelet and saw that it shined brighter and was now an orangish color. This made your stomach drop. The bracelet must have been some sort of timer. What it counted to you didn’t want to know. Looking behind you, you could see the sun had lowered.

After a few more minutes of running, you pass the fall where you had bathed. Almost there, you thought, the giant statue you came through now in view. Glancing back down at the bracelet again, you were happy to see it hadn’t gotten any brighter or warmer. You climbed up the rocks to get to the slight ledge where the statue sat. Once you reached the top, you quickly trotted over the crack in the statue’s boot. You leaned down so you can pass under the low entrance. You quickly get your legs moving so you can hopefully reach the inside of the mountain quickly. You look back briefly, wondering whether you should replace the rocks at the entrance. But the warmth on your wrist makes you abandon the thought and you keep going.

It gets darker the further down the pathway you go. But as you continue, you notice the bracelet offers you some light as your hand passes over the cramped walls. You glance over at it; the color is almost red, the heat intensifying. You quicken your pace even more, ignoring your burning legs. After a few moments, you start to see the entrance and you start to feel relief. However, the intense heat on your wrist reminds you to hurry along.

Finally, you reach the entrance, nearly tripping over your own feet to get inside. You stumble out of the crack, turning to face it as your steps become more stable. You pant, short of breath from all your running. You reach for your wrist and check the bracelet: the red light fades as well as the warmth until the discs are dark and cold again. You let out a sigh of relief, happy not to have to see what the bracelet would do had you entered the mountain even a moment later.

You bend over from exhaustion, hands gripping your knees as you catch your breath. You close your eyes in relief, but it’s short lived when you hear the echoing of claws on the stone floor. You quickly turn to see Smaug’s head slide into view. His brow perks up when he spots you.

“Ah. There you are” he remarks as he makes his way over to you.

Quickly you turn around, and wipe off your front out of habit. Hands now behind your back, you wait anxiously for him as you still try to catch your breath. Once he reaches, you, he lowers his head to give you a once over. Smaug tilts his head, probably noticing you look fresher. His nostrils flare as he smells the air about you, no doubt smelling the soap on your body and clothes.

Smaug says nothing as he approaches the entrance to the pathway you used. Reaching over to the large rocks that had blocked it, he replaces them with ease. You stifle a sigh of disappointment. _Of course_ he wouldn't leave it open so you could escape. He turns back to you, a slight grin on his lips, before he lowers his head to speak to you again.

“So...How were your excursions on the outside?” he asked, his head drawing closer.

“F-fine” you stutter out, holding your ground as his face comes closer.

“Really?” he asked, putting a curious emphasis on the word. It seemed that he was possibly trying to coax something out of you, but you had no idea what.

“Yes” you answered simply.

Smaug softly rumbled as the tip of his snout lightly poked your stomach. You stood stock still, wondering what he would do. Flaring his nostrils again, he purrs again and you feel it in your belly. After a moment, Smaug moves his head away, but brings a claw up to you. Your eyes widen at that. Gently, he brings up his large claws and places it behind you. With his large thumb, he touches the top of your head, stroking it gently and stares at you appraisingly. You look away, uncomfortable.

After he’s finished touching you, Smaug lowers his head in front of you and you promptly climb up and take your position on his neck. Rearing his head back, Smaug takes you both back to the main hall. As you grip his spikes, you think back to the abandoned city you’d stumbled on earlier today. Why was no one there? What was it even doing here so close to the mountain? Perhaps Smaug would know.

“Smaug?” you call out meekly.

Smaug tilts his head back to look at you.

“When I was outside, I saw buildings… A city in front of the mountain. What happened to it?”

You immediately regret your question once you see the wicked, toothy grin on his face.

“Would you like to hear how I took this mountain?” he inquired, almost gleefully.

You winced. Time for another terrifying story.

**  
**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really was trying to get a handle on the geography of Erebor in this chapter, so that's another reason this took so long. But, I also wanted to introduce what challenges the Reader faces while living in Erebor even with certain freedoms.
> 
> The Reader will have more agency in later chapters, though, I promise. Not to mention some Stockholm Syndrome is going to start kicking in sometime soon... But we'll just have to wait and see until then.
> 
> Also, by the way, I really appreciate comments and criticisms. It's sort of hard for me to gauge whether folks really like this story or not without them.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I sincerely apologize for this story being so delayed. As soon as the new year started, I'd been stressed and busy which of course took away both my writing and drawing muses...
> 
> I also want to apologize for this chapter being so short. I was writing this on-and-off these last couple months and just couldn't quite get it together until I forced myself to sit down and finish it.
> 
> But anyway, please enjoy this chapter.

After Smaug had told you the story of his devastation of both the mountain and the city, your mind buzzed as you slept. Frenzied images of fire, destruction and people fleeing flashed in your mind. Smaug’s voice echoed over the wild visions, adding to your distress. You’d woken sweaty and warm; swathed in your tapestries and pressed right up against Smaug’s warm neck. You couldn’t tell exactly when you woke since there was no real way to tell time in this place. Wriggling in the tapestries, you managed to free your arm so you could push the heavy material off of your shoulders. 

A few moments of twisting about, you were able to free yourself. Careful not to stir Smaug, you sat atop the makeshift blankets, hoping to cool off. You ran your hands through your hair, hoping to keep your sweat from seeping in any deeper. There wasn’t a time you could remember having such frenzied dreams. You hadn’t had many dreams since coming here. Most nights your mind was blank; just darkness until you woke up. When you did dream, it was pieces of memories of your life back in your village. Those were the times you’d woken up with tears in your eyes…

Still feeling too warm, you decided to shed a few layers. After you removed your clothes, you placed them in a heap at your feet. It still felt stuffy, but the stale air was beginning to cool your skin. You fanned your chest a little with your hand, hoping to speed up the cooling. 

Sighing, you relax a bit, resting your elbows on your legs.The jingling of coins makes you spin around. Behind you, Smaug had tilted his head and was staring at you. He had his half-lidded eye fixed on you, the pupil blown wide. You waited for him to do something, anything, but no, all he did was stare at you. Looking down, you remember you had removed a few layers and so much of your skin was now exposed. You grasped the clothes at your feet and pulled it to your chest, hoping to give yourself some modesty. Silence hung in the air as you sat still, the tunic clutched to your body. Just as you figured you would either move away or even say something, Smaug closed his eye and nestled into the gold once again.

To call yourself unsettled would be an understatement. Smaug’s leering wasn’t new to you, but it never happened when you were only partially clothed. You usually undressed when you were outside or when he was in one of his deep sleeps. Smaug was always staring at you; you thought you’d be used to it, but this time... It reminded you of the lecherous eyes that started to roam your body when you first came of age.

Now you felt cold again... You drag the clothes in your arms with you to where you were sleeping. It appeared that Smaug’s neck was no longer pressed against your tapestries, though he was still nearby. You squirmed back into the cocoon, your clothes balled against your stomach. You peeked out to glance at Smaug who was still sound asleep. Ducking back under the tapestries, you pull some of the fabric over your head like a hood. With your new protective layer, you felt only the tiniest bit safer. Soon enough, you could feel the warmth from the thick matting envelop you once again. But it brought no comfort; you were too shaken by what had just happened. You tried to make your mind and your body relax so you could doze off, but it didn’t work. All you could think of was that single eye...

_~_~_~_~_~_

The lack of sleep left you drained. You tried to move around some: to try shake away your weariness, but also to keep up appearances,. Smaug was curled up not too far away from you, probably taking a catnap as per usual. When he woke, he seemed normal, like he hadn’t remembered staring at you half-dressed last night. It did nothing put you at ease, though. You decided to press on in your activities, lest you make him suspicious. The last thing you wanted was him prying.

You’d decided to start another treasure hunt: this time for the small blue stones you’d become fond of lately. So far you’d only collected a handful in your pot, just enough to cover the bottom. As you searched, your limbs and eyes become heavy, but you pressed on. As you took a step up, the coins immediately slipped out from under your bare feet, making you tumble down the heap.

The pot and stones scatter around you as you roll down the pile. You cry out as you topple down, treasure following after you. You come to a stop on your front, your middle and legs buried in a mass of treasure. Groaning, you try to get up, but it seems your fatigue has caught up with you. All you can do is lie there: pathetic and exhausted. It’s not long until you hear the familiar sound of clattering gold. Smaug no doubt heard your blunder and was coming to investigate. You crossed your arms and hid your face, not wanting to face him. Feeling the coins under you shift, you bury your head further and stench of metal fills your nose.

Smaug seems to wait for you to respond, but you’re scared to acknowledge him. Seconds drag on until he finally speaks.

“What troubles you?” he asks.

Not knowing what exactly to say, you pause. Deciding an “I’m fine” should suffice, you respond. You try to be clear, but your voice comes out muffled and unintelligible. There was a pause. You yelp when you’re snatched out of the coins. The gold slips around your body and through Smaug’s fingers as he lifts you up. You bring your hands to your chest as you’re brought to his face. He brings you up to one of his bright yellow eyes to inspect you.

“You’re not usually so clumsy… What is wrong?”

For some reason, you don’t want to tell him you were exhausted. Maybe it was you not wanting to show him any kind of weakness or your fear of him. Or maybe looking into that yellow eye still unnerved you. You didn’t know. Your fingers fiddled with your collar, providing a minimal distraction from your dread.

After moments of silence, Smaug let out a noise that seemed like a sigh and shifted as he made his way up the pile of gold. You grabbed onto his fingers to steady yourself in his loose grip. As he climbed up, you could see your shoes and your pile of tapestries. You’re confused why he would bring you back here…

Your thoughts are interrupted when Smaug moves again, brings you close. Your fingers grip the scales of his hand harder as you’re brought closer to his fierce face. A whimper escapes your throat when you feel his hot breath on your chest. He stares at you before he reaches for you with his other hand. You recoil back into his palm and bring your hands up to your collar again. This wasn’t like the times he would turn you over and inspect you like usual... 

You could feel your heart pounding as Smaug’s claw drew closer and closer to your body. Fingers trembling against your collarbone, fingering the fringe of your collar. For a second you thought Smaug was going to run you through, but the claw stopped right over your hands. With uncanny slowness and delicacy, the claw separated them until they fell away by your head. Now touching your clavicle, the claw trails down to the center of your chest and lingers there. It’s slight, but you can feel the pressure of it pressing your skin through your clothes. Your stomach feels tight and your face burns as the claw idles on top of you. Smaug purrs and his eye flash to your face before moving back to your chest. 

The claw drags lower until it’s touching your stomach. Before it can slide further, you grab the claw in your hands and Smaug stops. It was probably useless: you were probably as strong as a horse fly in his eyes. But you had to stop it somehow; you didn’t want to imagine what else he intended to do. You can feel yourself trembling, terrified of what would come next. His eyes are on your face again. 

“P-Please...” you implore him, your voice no louder than a whisper. 

In what seems like reluctance, Smaug pulls back his claw, bringing you forward with it. You catch yourself before you can topple down his wrist. He closes his grip and you’re trapped again. You wonder just what he will do to you now… You close your eyes in dread at what awaits you.

You’re confused when Smaug places you down in your sleeping spot. You push yourself up onto your elbows to look at him, but then something heavy falls on you. It’s your tapestries. You look up to see Smaug looming over you; his wings surrounding you.

“If you were tired, you only need say so.” He lowers his head so that he’s only a few feet away. “Rest now; it isn’t as if you have anything important to tend to.” With that, he turns his long neck and rests it on one of his wings. 

You sit, stunned at his comments. How did he know you were tired? Though you immediately found this to be a foolish question. You’d been his captive for long enough he would be able to tell when you were acting strangely. You pull in your covered legs and fold your arms on them. Your think about your… encounter (for lack of a better word) with Smaug. You find yourself becoming more and more uneasy.

What had he been doing? The way he looked at you... It made you remember the way he eyed you last night. Shaky hands run through your hair, clutching the stands with your fingers. It rattled you, sure, but you were used to his stares. But he’s never touched you like that before. Of course he’s always made sure not to hurt you whenever he handled you, but this was different.He’d never been so.... tender. How the tip of his claw ran down your body… it was almost like a caress. 

The word made you shiver. Caresses were for lovers… For people who were desired… Did Smaug desire you? Your eyes widened at the thought. Smaug was a dragon. A huge, terrifying dragon who’d burned your village to ashes and whisked you away to live in a mountain to be part of his plunder. So far he regarded you like the rest of the gold and jewels in this place: something to look at, to keep. Why would he desire you in that way? Could a dragon desire someone in that way?

You turn to look Smaug. His face is turned away from you, but it isn’t comforting in the least. Grabbing the thick drapery, you turn away and cover yourself. The rough fabric warms you and you feel it seeping into your tired body, making your eyes feel even heavier. As much as you wanted to think this ordeal through, you were just too tired. Before you finally drifted off to sleep you could only hope that there were no more encounters like this in your future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> While I definitely wanted to expand more on this, I just didn't have the strength to keep it up. This was a significant event in the story that I had planned out, but not in the way I wanted. Not to mention I think I touched more on Lima syndrome than Stockholm syndrome...
> 
> But anyway, we have two more chapters to go so I hope you'll stick with me and this story to the end because it is definitely going to be going beyond just this one. And I will try my hardest to get those chapters out a lot sooner than 7 months between haha.
> 
> Also, you can anticipate qa lot more in the next chapter as far as the Reader's agency is concerned.


End file.
